Weathering mk 1 coaches

Did not manage another post over the weekend, due to a rather nasty computer virus. However, that is now dealt with, and I have managed to finish the weathering of my BSK Mk 1, in intercity livery. The photographs also show an earlier attempt at weathering an intercity rbr mk1, as a comparison (RBR on right, BSK on left). At the time I was happy with the rbr weathering, but the lack of weathering of the door frames now makes it really stick out to me. Problem is, now I can see it, I see it on every model. My recently finished NSE 108 might have to go back into the workshop......as well as every other Mk1 I own!!

Anyway, back to the BSK Mk1, running in weathered black into the door frames then a vertical streaking of very thin frame dirt on the sides was combined with painting then weathering the underframe. I think this has worked wonders (maybe I am biased!!), but I am very happy with how this model turned out.

On other matters I am hunting down some transfers for the walrus wagons to finish this little project. Then I will move onto building the whale wagons and detailing the class 08 and 20. Has anyone out there built a cambrian whale yet??..Also have my son for half term, so except for the time when I am working, I hope Amberleigh will progress.........

Walruses and sealions

(Top = second cambrian walrus, not painted: Middle = first cambrian walrus painted; Bottom = Bachmann sealion, suitably dirtied up)

A great days modelling yesterday. The mk1 is nearly finished, save for some roof weathering, will put up a post of this later today. However, yesterday I finished the building of the second walrus (about time) and the first walrus is ready for transfers, with glossed varnish applied for the transfers to be put on today. There is a little bit of painting left to do, such as handrails, etc, but should be finished within a week. BTW if anyone reading knows where to get transfers from to finish this model off please get in touch.....

The photographs show the second walrus built, the first walrus kit nearly painted, and an earlier painted sealion. This is going to make a great engineers train when it is finished. There are two more sealions to weather and I hope to build two whale wagons between now and xmas. I have some kit built mermaids, dogfish, and catfish already built to add to this train, as well some heljan dogfish about to enter my workshop. I definitely enjoy modelling engineering wagons!

Anyhow, modelling is cracking on at a pace this weekend....will put up a post of the finished BSK and also the little halt for Amberleigh soon.

BSK MK 1 weathering

Am enjoying a lovely weekend with my girlfriend, and after some shopping and decorating, I am going to get a whole afternoon of modelling. I will definitely finish my second walrus wagon build and also the lamprey off. Many projects are nearing fruition now, and the little halt for Amberleigh is nearly done, as is a concrete pillbox.

One project that is receiving a little attention is the weathering of a Mk 1 BSK at the moment. I weathered the RBR, which I put in an earlier post, and whilst happy at the time, the gaps in the door stand out like a sore thumb. I am blacking out the door gaps on this model and practising streaking some rain washed dirt down the sides. The photo shows the work in progress, more to do but coming on well (sorry about the poor quality of the photograph).

I recently have discovered a beautiful website of 1980's diesels in my beloved Devon (http://freepages.nostalgia.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~cyberheritage/). The website has some fantastic photographs of class 33's and 31's, pulling short freight and passenger services on the tarka line. The photographs show some pretty mucky blue grey mk1's. The collection also shows a 33/2 and numerous class 25's in Devon on rural branchline workings. I think the modelling potential from these scenes is great and has certainly inspired me. I will put up some further posts this weeks to show my progress over the next few days.

Weathering a shark brakevan

(photographs: top = cambrian shark; below top = hornby weathered shark (factory finish) with pipework addded; below bottom = hornby shark after further weathering; bottom = hornby shark after further weathering)


I had the delights of working in Dicot this week and another wedding on saturday, has again meant little time for modelling this week. I seem to begin all my blog posts like this!!! However, hangover aside, I have spent this afternoon modelling. This gave me enough time to finish the weathering of my Hornby shark brakevan.

Before I started to weather it I took a photograph of the Hornby factory finish weathered shark and also had a photograph to hand of a previously built shark brakevan, built from the excellent Cambrian kit. I think it makes an interesting comparison. Weathering is a personal thing, and one of the most important aspects when weathering is to know when to stop. The original Hornby weathering, is no more than a quick airbrushing of light brown frame dirt. It really leaves a lot to be desired.

Using this as a basis the model has been changed into a heavily weathered finish, with some grafetti decals added. One of the decals did not take properly, so I had to disguise this with some additional weasthering, with moderate success. Overall though I am pretty happy with the result. When weathering stock, I try to produce a blend of different finishes on different models, some nearly spotless, some heavily weathered and everything in between. I think in modelling terms it is important to represent a range of prototypical finishes. Everything is weathered to varying degrees. For example, with the two walrus wagons, one is being finished heavily weathered and the second one is being lightly weathered.

Back to the brake van, the comparison between the before and after pictures speaks volumes. I think it is commendable that model manufacturers are trying to model 'real life' railways, but te execution in this instance is poor. However, the less than perfect finish givs modellers like me something to do and personalise mass produced models. With the brakevan finished, work is ongoing on Chivers Lamprey and finishing the second walrus. I might even get the track laid on Amberleigh this evening!!

More progress on Amberleigh

Last weekend my son and I managed to get some of the landscaping started on Amberleigh. Using some brown tape and newspaper we got the basics of the landscape laid down, ready for some plaster bandage. We also modified the track plan changing it to a single track branchline, due to space limitations. This branchline miraculously survived Dr Beeching's axe!! This, as the idea develops, is due to the local ECC quarry, which really was the case for the Torrinton brach into the 1980s. It is really sad that this railway has since been lifted, if it had survived a few years longer passenger trains would have started running again.

Today we added the plaster bandage to the layout and also the tunnel entrances. We put in the powerbus underneath the layout as well. Tomorrow we will finish the plaster bandage and even lay some of the track. Unfortunately, I am away with work all the coming week, and another weekend wedding will mean progress will again grind to a halt.